By Press Release

October 2, 2000

PORTLAND, OREGON � Hot on the heels of the August signing of Guillaume Morisset - Salomon Snowboards is now pleased to announce the signing of Norwegian rider Espen Arvesen to its international snowboarding team. Currently 2nd on the ISF world halfpipe rankings, Arvesen is known as a consistently smooth, talented rider, who relentlessly pulls off amazing performances in the pipe.

Twenty year-old Arvesen, who currently lives in Oslo, Norway, recently took first place at Fieberbrunn � Lord of the Boards placing just ahead of Salomon team member Daniel Franck. "That was huge for me," says Arvesen, "Things just went my way during that competition." And Arvesen�s results in recent competitions are testimony to his ability to get the job done. This year, Arvesen placed second in the Leysin-Nescafe SUI HP and took third at the Stoneham-Kokanee SBC Jam Tour HP. This past April, Arvesen took third place in the Norwegian National Championship, a huge personal victory for the Norwegian-born rider.

Arvesen�s career began in Dearum, Norway where he began his riding at the age of 14. "My Dad bought me a board the day after Christmas," says Arvesen "and I have been riding ever since."

When asked about his switch to Salomon, Arvesen explains, "I wanted to find a smaller team." And according to Espen, Salomon offers him just that. "They hear what I say; they really listen. It�s important to me that I ride for a team that wants their pros� input on their products. I�m looking forward to working with them on what works, what doesn�t."

Arvesen has signed a 2 - year exclusive agreement to ride Salomon snowboards, snowboard boots and snowboard bindings. He will be riding on the Sequence 158 with S4 bindings and the Malamute boots. The agreement also includes Bonfire Outerwear.

"We�re thrilled to add such a talented rider to the team," says Will Gilmore, Salomon/Bonfire�s international snowboard team manager. "Espen has really proven himself in the last couple years of competition. He�s a very dedicated and technical rider who is focused on winning. We are super excited about the prospects for him in the very near future."

Looking into the future, Espen sees himself getting a bit more creative off-snow. "I�d like to get into creative design," he says. For now though, Arvesen is dedicated to perfecting his main sport -- snowboarding � and looks forward to expanding his skills both in the pipe, and as an all-around rider with Salomon.